Surface-contact electric-railway system.



Patented 1an. 23, 1900.

J. MCL. MURPHY.

SURFACE CONTACT ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application led Feb. 7. 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No'Model.)

@OL-r Patented 1an. 23, |900. J. MCL. MURPHY.

SURFACE CONTACT ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(Application led Feb. 7, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

lll'l'linum- 'iii A TTOHNEYS A er through the switch is broken.

STATES- PATENT J OI-lN MCLEOD MURPHY, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY THIRD RAIL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

URFAcE-ONTACT ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 641,879, dated January23, 1900.

Application filed February '7, 1899. Serial No. 704,841. (No model.)`

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN McLnoD MURPHY, o f Torrington, in thecounty ofLitchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Surface-Contact Electric-Railway Systems, ofwhich the following is aspecitication.

This invention relates to improvements in that character ofsurface-contact systems referred to in my Patent No. 599, 344, datedFebruary 22, 1898, and in its more speciiic nature comprehends certainimproved details of construction in the switch mechanism referred to inthe said patent, all of which willhereinafter be fully described, andspecifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammaticV viewillustrating my improved electric-railway system. Fig. 2 is aperspective'view of my improved solenoid-switch forming a part thereof,said switch being shown open. Y. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partsbeing in section, ofthe same, the carbon or bridgeheld contacts and thesupplemental feed-brush contacts being shown in a position the instantthe circuit Fig. 4 illustrates the initial position of the bridge-piececarrying the carbon contacts as it is sucked up to close the circuit.Fig. l5 is a detail view illustrating the complete contacting of thecarbons and the brush members when the current is full on, and Fig. 6 isa detail view of the supplemental switch member hereinafter referred to.

The essential feature of this invention therefore consists in certainimproved constructions particularly relating to the switch mechanism,whereby to further increase the efficacy of the same and reduce thearcing and leakage incident thereto to a minimum, it also comprising acompound set of contacts, one of carbon and the 'other metallic, soarranged that when the current is full on said carbon contacts will beprotected and when the current is broken the metallic contacts will beseparated before the carbon contacts are apart, and thereby avoid alldanger of fusing the metallic contacts by arcing.

Another feature of this invention lies in the improved construction ofthe breaker in the high-resistance winding or lead of the switch,whereby to render the operation thereof the more positive and make theaccidental separation of the same by reason of jarring action on theswitch impossible, and thereby avoid unnecessary leakage or arcing atits contact.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 1 indicate the track-rails, and 2 theshort or sectional conductorrail, which preferably is located betweenthe main track-rails 1 1 and 2a, the insulating-blocks supporting theconductorrail section. f

3 indicates one of the car-trucks, 4 the motor, 5 the straddle-trolleys,6 the controller, and 7 the storage batteries, all of which may bearranged in the manner referred to and illustrated in my patentaforesaid; but in the present arrangement of my system a motordynamo isused, the construction of which forms an essential feature of mycopending application, (Serial No. 687 ,726, filed August 4, 1898,)which acts as a transformer for alternately charging the storagebatteries and for supplying a current of high voltage for operating theswitches and the car-lights.

In the practical arrangement of my improved system the switches areusually disposed in nests Within vaults, as indicated in Fig. l, inwhich three switches are shown, two connected with the contact-railsections oc y and the third for operating the crossover 8, which may beof any well-known construction.

My present form of switch mechanism generally embodies the samearrangement of parts disclosed in my patent above referred to; but torender its construction and operation the more clearly understood Ishall describe the same in detail.

10indicates the solenoid or suction magnet, mounted on a suitable base10a, and said magnet comprises an outer casing and upper and lowerhead-pieces 12 13, respectively.

14 indicates the low-resistance or outer winding, which encircles theinner or high-resistance winding 15, which in turn surrounds thearmature-core or plunger 16, the upper end of which terminates in areduced shank 16a, which has separated adjustable contacts 17 17a, thepurpose of which will presently appear. The lower end of the plunger hasa reduced pendent shank 16", which slides in a bracket-piece 18, whichforms a guide for the plunger and a stop to limit the drop of the same,as will be clearly understood by referring to Fig. 3. The lower end ofthe plunger carries a metallic bridge-piece 20, (insulated from theplunger,) the opposite ends of which have each a socket 2On to receivethe carbon contact-blocks 21 21.

Findicatesthe feeder-wire,andfthelaterals which join it with theswitches. Each of the lateralsfconnect with a post 23 of the switch,which forms a bracket for a yielding member 2i, normally presseddownwardly, which carries a carbon block 25.

26 indicates a similar bracket on the opposite edge of the switch-base,in which plays a yielding member 27, carrying a carbon-block contact 27.

The carbon blocks 2l, 25, and 27 oppose each other. The outer or lowresistance winding couples with the bracket 26 and connects with theconductor or third rail, while the inner or high-resistance windingcouples with the low-resistance lead from the conductor-rail and joinswith the terminal 28, having a carbon contact 28% 29 indicates abracket-piece secured to the base 10, to which is pivot-ally connected aswitch-arm 30, which arm carries an insulated plate 21, projectedbetween the adjustable Contact members on the plunger, and at its outerend said switch-arm carries a carbon contact-piece 31.

32 indicates a spring which is joined to the bracket 29 and to the arm30in such manner that when the said arm is swung up to the positionindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6 it will maintain it in such positionand when the arm is swung down to close contact with the opposing member28c it will hold the said contacts 28 31 together against any jarring ofthe switch.

35 indicates what I term a supplemental contacaor circuit-closer, themain purpose of which is to relieve the carbon blocks 21 to 25 and 27from the full current charge after the switch has been closed. The saidcontact 35 comprises a series or a laminated pack of copperspring-plates having a central spring clamping engagement with thebridge-piece, but insulated from the plunger.

The ends of the plates 35 are bent up, as at b35, to such extentrelatively to the carbon contacts as to engage with the brackets 23 to26 immediately after the carbon blocks have connected and to break awayfrom the said brackets on the breaking of the circuit before the carboncontacts separate. By thus providing and arranging the supplementalmetallic contacts it is obvious the same will reinforce the carbonblocks in conducting capacity; but as the said carbon blocks break lastany arc that may occur comes upon them, is thus diverted from themetallic contacts,

and all danger of fusing the laminated plates is thereby avoided.

It will be noticed by referring more particularly to Figs. 4 and 5 thatthe impact ends of the members 35 have a stepped arrangement, the outerplate having its member 35a the longest, while the others successivelydecrease in length toward the inner one. The purpose of thisconstruction is twofold. First, it provides for a gradual application ofthe contact of the metallic plates and the brackets or posts 26 to 29,and, secondly, the resistance or back pressure is against each plateindependent of the others, thereby relieving the innermost ones of suchplates from a too great back-tension strain, which would occur if theends of the members 35a were of the same horizontal plane. The laminatedplates also serve another and advantageous purpose in that they assistby reason of their spring tension,under which theyare held when drawn upthe current, in throwing the bridge-piece down in ease of any slightleakage which might serve to slightly increase the minimum currentnecessary to hold the switch up and which under some conditions maycause the switch to stick against its gravity drop.

In operation at the initial starting of the car current from the localenergy on the car is shunted through the trolley into the inner windingof the switch, which creates current enough to lift the plunger andbridge-piece and close the switch, the movement of the plunger and itsadjustable contacts at the upper end being so governed as to break thelocal orinner-winding circuit immediatelyafter the main or feeder linecircuit is caused to flow through the switch, which then passes throughthe conductor-rail and the trolley to the controller and used asdesired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a surface-contact railway system, a solenoid-switchhavingindependentinnerand outer windings of different resistance, thehigh-resistance coil being grounded and having a lead connected with thelow-resistance coil; a circuit-breaker in the said lead governed bytheshifting of the plunger; a plunger carrying a duplex set of contacts,said contacts being set in diierent planes whereby one set of whichmakes after and breaks before the other set of contacts correspondinglyacts, for the purposes specified.

2. An automatic circuit making and breaking mechanism of the characterdescribed, comprising a high-resistance coil having a ground-return andconnected with one of the sectional conductor-rails; a switch in saidhigh-resistance coil; a low-resistance coil connected with thefeeder-wire and with the conductor-rail section; a pair of contactingmembers in said low-resistance coil normally held open, said memberseach consisting of a fixedly-held portion and a portion having a lim-IOO IIO

ited free movement projected in a plane in advance of the Xedly-heldportions of the said contacting members; a plunger-rod governed by theenergizing of the high or low resistance coils, said plunger including apair of contacting members, said plunger-contacting members being heldin diiferent planes, whereby one set will engage the forwardlyprojectingcontacting members of the low-resistance coil before the other setengage the Xedly-held portion of the said low-resistance contactingmembers, said plunger having means for breaking the switch in thehighresistance winding immediately afterthe first active contact membersengage.

3. In a solenoid-switch of the character described; the combination withthe IiXedly-held contacting portions, the yielding carbonblock-holdingcontacts and the circuit-wires of the plunger-armature carrying abridgepiece having carbon blocks to engage the yielding contacts andcarrying metallic contacts consisting of alaminated pack of springcopper plates, the ends of which are bent up to engage the iXedly-heldor bracketed contacts after the carbon contacts are closed,

said ends having their impacting portions arranged to engage thebrackets successively from the outermost one toward the innermost one,for the purposes specified.

4. In an electromagnetic switch mechanism of the character described;the combination with the lead connecting the inner and outer windingsand the armature-plunger; of a circuit-breaker in the aforesaid lead,consisting of a fiXedly-held contact; a bracket connected with the innerterminal of the lead; a hinged member carrying a contact to engage thefixedly-held contact, said hinged member being arranged in the path ofthe plunger and adapted to be swung in opposite directions by theopposite movements of said plunger, and a spring device for holding thesaid swinging member in either its open or closed position untilpositively engaged by the plunger in its opposite movements, all beingarranged substantially as shown and for the purposes de scribed.-

JOHN MCLEOD MURPHY. Witnesses:

LoUIs STECKLER, SAMUEL SEINFEL.

